16 November 2023
WISE supports the Sustainable Development Goals through our work
SINGAPORE MODEL COP 2023
The National Model-COP Event (www.mcop.com), held on 16 November at Victoria Junior College, simulated the high-level environmental negotiations of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) to be held at UAE, was timed to be a prelude to the launch of COP28 later this month. The inaugural National Model-COP brought together 22 teams of 16 and 17 year old student-delegates from schools across Singapore. They were mentored by 9 students from SMU College of Integrative Studies over the course of 3 weeks.
Participants represented various countries and were grouped into “negotiating blocs” – to negotiate climate agreements and draft resolutions that reflect the urgent need for global cooperation. By simulating the intricacies of international negotiations, delegates gained first-hand experience of the challenges and opportunities inherent in forging global agreements whilst gaining insights into current media and academic coverage of various key climate change issues.
This year’s key themes chosen for the students from COP 28 (Dubai) are:
- Energy and a Just Transition
- Food, Agriculture and Water
The winning teams and speakers were:
- Best Speaker (Energy and a Just Transition) – Qiu Peijie from Catholic Junior College
- Best Negotiating Country (Energy and a Just Transition) – National Junior College
- Best Speaker (Food, Agriculture and Water) – Prakhar Neel Kamal from Anderson Serangoon Junior College
- Best Negotiating Country (Food, Agriculture and Water) – Victoria School
The event also featured a special keynote address by Guest of Honor, SMS Zaqy Mohd, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Manpower, Deputy Leader of the House, opening remarks by Prof. Winston Chow, Advisor of Model-COP, Co-Chair of Working Group II, IPCC, Associate Professor of Urban Climate and Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow, Singapore Management University’s (SMU) College of Integrative Studies and an expert panel on The Role of Youth in Sustainable Development moderated by Yunita Ong, Insights and Growth Strategy Manager & Senior News Editor, LinkedIn Editorial and speakers such as Sona Shahdadpuri, Head of Strategic Projects, Sustainable Finance, Standard Chartered Bank, Qiyun Woo, Sustainability Consultant, Unravel Carbon and Shawn Wang, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Climate Change.
The organizing committee extends its gratitude to all partners, including Singapore Management University, KOP, Lin Foundation and knowledge partner PwC and hosting partners Victoria Junior College.
26 July 2023
Save the Date
BLOOMBERG – Sustainability Business Summit
Virtual and Singapore
Amid economic uncertainty, geopolitical challenges and ever-changing regulations, companies are under pressure to drive business value and meet their ambitious ESG goals.
Join Bloomberg and speakers from AIA, Nissan, SGX and more at Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit on July 26 in Singapore or online for a day of solutions-driven discussions and community building.
Date – 26th July 2023
Venue: Shangri-La Singapore
18 May 2023
Save the Date
Sustainability 101
Sustainability is a buzzword on everyone’s lips today. But what does it really mean?
Join us for an overview on sustainability and its key drivers, as well as industry specific trends and actions, enabling you to drive sustainability initiatives and activities for organisations or in your personal capacity.
Date – 18th May 2023
Time – 05.00 pm – 06.30 pm
Venue:
Yong Pung How School of Law/Kwa Geok Choo Law Library,
55 Armenian St,
Singapore 179943
Room: Seminar Room 2-16
10 March 2023
Save the Date
Championing Sustainability in Finance
Join our International Women’s Day 2023 panel discussion in partnership with Singlife featuring women in the financial industry who are leading the charge in #sustainability.
Hear about the policies and initiatives behind successful sustainability programmes in their institutions and benefit from actionable tips from their professional and personal journeys.
Date – 10th March 2023
Time – 10.30 am – 12.00 pm
Venue: Singlife Office @ L26, SGX Centre 2
23 November 2022
Save the Date
Gender at COP27 – Women as Agents of Change
Women can (and do) play a critical role in response to #climatechange due to their local knowledge of and leadership in sustainable resource management and/or leading sustainable practices at the household and community level. Women’s participation at the political level has resulted in greater responsiveness to citizen’s needs, often increasing cooperation across party and ethnic lines and delivering more #sustainablepeace. At the local level, women’s inclusion at the leadership level has led to improved outcomes of #climate related projects and policies. On the contrary, if policies or projects are implemented without women’s meaningful participation it can increase existing inequalities and decrease effectiveness.
The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, is rapidly approaching and will showcase outstanding gender just #climatesolutions that are implemented around the world and transform the narrative on #climateaction by bringing a #gendertransformative and risk-informed lens to decision making on adaptation and loss and damage.
Join us for an in-depth discussion with key stakeholders on what the outcomes of COP 27 mean for women globally, locally and within your immediate circles. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement to celebrate the achievements of women making strides in the sustainability ecosystem!
Date – 23rd November 2022
Time – 01.00pm – 02.30 pm
Venue:
Meta Singapore
Marina One
27 September 2022
Launch of Wise Mentorship Programme
WISE Singapore – Women in Sustainability and Environment is excited to partner with Bain & Company to announce the launch of our #mentorship programme! Join us on 27th September from 5 to 6:30 pm to find out more about the program, anticipated outcomes and how to apply as a mentee/mentor.
Date – 27th September 2022
Time – 05.00pm – 06.30 pm
Venue:
Bain and Company Office
38 Beach Road
Level 15 South Beach Tower, 189767
28 July 2022
WISE Lecture Series:
“Sustainability and Finance”
Date – 28th July 2022
Time – 04pm – 06pm
Venue – SGX Auditorium
Register Now
Before 25th July 2022
The task to accelerate sustainable finance to create and enable green solutions is critical. By some estimates, US$2 trillion in infrastructure investments will be needed over the next decade in Southeast Asia alone to enable the sustainable transition and put the region on the path to net-zero” Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development, Singapore.
The finance industry is the golden key to ensuring a sustainable future for all. The financial sector – in all its myriad forms: public, private and blended finance etc – holds enormous discretionary power to direct scarce capital to small and large-scale projects as well as bring awareness to issues of sustainability, whether by allowing for research and development of alternative energy sources or supporting businesses that follow fair and sustainable trade and labour practices impacting global supply chains in the process.
Women have carved out an important niche in the field of sustainable finance, moving into the sector early on because of their interest in climate change and the environment. The proportion of women working in sustainable finance in Asia is anecdotally higher than other areas of finance, partly because banks did not consider this area a core-priority until recently.
At the same time, financial regulators are called on to play a substantial role in fostering and driving the adoption of sustainability disclosure standards worldwide.
This expert panel will explore:
Updates: The latest developments, standards and trends in sustainable finance and ESG investing with a particular focus on how this will inform corporate and individual actions in the region;
The Role of Technology: recent and ongoing progress in the area of verification and transparency, including insights on the role of data and technology to ensure integrity and trust in sustainability disclosures and financing platforms, including carbon financing;
Building robust taxonomies: recent progress by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Singapore Exchange (SGX), analysing the opportunities and challenges ahead, in order to set a globally relevant baseline for sustainability disclosure to support sustainable finance;
Future jobs: highlighting women job roles in sustainable finance; the skillsets needed now and in the future.
Keynote Speaker
Boon Gin Tan
CEO at SGX RegCo
Boon Gin Tan serves as Chief Executive Officer – Singapore Exchange Regulation of the Company. Mr Tan Boon Gin joined SGX as Chief Regulatory Officer on 15 June 2015. He heads the Singapore Exchange Regulation, an independent regulatory subsidiary of SGX, which undertakes all front-line regulatory functions to promote a fair, orderly and transparent market. Before joining SGX, Mr Tan was Director of the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force. Prior to this, Mr Tan held several appointments at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) including Director of the Enforcement Division, Director of the Corporate Finance Division and Executive Director of the Investment Intermediaries Department.
Mr Tan was seconded to MAS after serving as a District Judge at Singapore’s Subordinate Courts. Mr Tan’s earlier roles included serving as a Justices’ Law Clerk at Singapore’s Supreme Court and a Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Attorney General’s Chamber, where he specialised in corruption and white collar crime, before leaving to practise at Messrs Sullivan & Cromwell in New York. He is a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors Council and serves on the Board of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. Mr Tan is an advocate and solicitor and holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and Harvard Law School. Mr Tan was awarded the Public Administration (Silver) Medal in 2010.
Moderator
Jaclyn Seow
Venture Capital – ESG and Impact
Jaclyn Seow leads ESG at Openspace Ventures, a venture fund focused on tech-powered startups in Southeast Asia. Openspace manages over US$650M in capital over five funds. It counts global investors such as Temasek, Norfund, and DEG among its trusted LPs. In addition to investing in sustainable solutions, the firm incorporates ESG into its diligence and post-investment value creation process. Jaclyn works with over 40 portfolio companies in 14 countries to develop and institutionalize ESG and impact measurement and implementation capacity.
Jaclyn previously worked for the Singapore Government, including at the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Health. In 2015 she represented Singapore in negotiations on global economic growth and development issues as a Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. She currently serves on the Boards of Advisory and WISE (Women in Sustainability and Environment).
Speaker
Vesi Kertikova
CFA – Sustainability & ESG
Vesi is Director with the ESG Investment Management at Temasek. She oversees the ESG integration framework and activities across Temasek’s investment activities. She also provides inputs in the design and implementation of Temasek’s climate transition strategy and engagement with portfolio companies on their decarbonisation pathways.
Prior to joining Temasek, Vesi spent 2 years with LGT Impact Ventures as investment manager for Southeast Asia, evaluating and managing a portfolio of growth companies with positive and environmental impact beyond financial return.
Previously, she was with the equity team at the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth (NBIM) for 7 years as a research analyst and subsequently as a portfolio manager covering European and Asian markets.
Vesi is a Co-Chair of the ESG Committee of the Singapore Venture Capital and Private Equity Association. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Singapore.
Speaker
Abigail Ng
Executive Director
Monetary Authority of Singapore
Ms Abigail Ng is Executive Director and Head of the Corporate Finance & Consumer Department.
Ms Ng joined MAS in 2006 in the Capital Markets Policy Division, and was involved in amending legislation and the review of policies. She subsequently held appointments as Head of the Strategic Planning Office (Managing Director’s Office) in charge of corporate planning and organisational development, and as Head of the Human Resource Development Division overseeing general development training and talent management.
Ms Ng served with the Singapore Legal Service in the State Courts and the Attorney-General’s Chambers prior to joining MAS. Ms Ng holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the National University of Singapore, and is admitted as Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore.
Speaker
Kelvin Tay
Managing Director, Regional CIO,
UBS Global Wealth Management
Kelvin is a Regional Chief Investment Officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, where he serves as a member of the UBS WM Asia-Pacific Investment Committee. He provides strategic research and insights to the asset allocation process.
Kelvin is also an Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University’s Nanyang Business School, where he lectures on Macroeconomics, Cycles, Bubbles & Crises and Investment Products & Advisory Strategy in the Masters in Asset & Wealth Management programme. NTU is ranked 19th in the world by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, 2022. At the Wealth Management Institute, Kelvin teaches the Advanced Diploma in Financial Management course, amongst others.
Globally, Kelvin is our most sought-after speaker in UBS. He is a bi-monthly guest host on CNBC Asia and a regular commentator on international broadcast media such as Bloomberg TV, ChannelNews Asia…etc. He also contributes byline articles on a regular basis to The Business Times, Hong Kong Economic Times, The Edge and other publications.
27 July 2022
Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit
Join in-person or virtually
Date – Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Time – 9:00 am – 12:35 pm SGT
Lunch Reception and Networking to follow
Venue:
Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square
Singapore 039594
Register Now
Join in-person or virtually at the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit on July 27. Anchored in Singapore, the inaugural Asia-Pacific Summit will focus on solutions to help companies and investors meet their ambitious ESG goals. The event will convene business leaders and investors for in-depth conversations to drive innovation and scale best practices in sustainable business and finance.
Click here for more information about this event.
Speakers include:
• Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Development Limited
• Maurizio Brusadelli, Executive Vice President & President Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Mondelēz International
• Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, DBS Bank
• Vincent Mortier, Group Chief Investment Officer, Amundi
• Muhamad Umar Swift, CEO, Bursa Malaysia
• Joey Wat, CEO, Yum China Holdings, Inc.
02 June 2022
WISE Lecture Series:
“Women in Sustainability and the Built Environment”
Guest of Honour:
Minister Desmond Lee
Date – 02nd June 2022
Time – 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Venue – Singapore Management University
Since COP26 in particular, there has been much buzz on the #sustainability front. With the building industry known to generate at least 40% of global C02 emissions, ESG transition is at the forefront of strategy for real estate leaders. In conjunction with World Environment Day, come find out from our panel of experts on what the buzz is all about, what is happening to address some of the concerns, and what you need to know to keep up in the space.
We’re privileged to have Minister Desmond Lee join us as our Guest of Honour! Watch this space as we release the names of our amazing lineup of panelists over the next ten days.
24 March 2022
International Women’s Day
“Fireside Chat”
Date – 24th March 2022
Time – 5:00pm
Venue – SMU Auditorium
Join us for our International Women’s Day Fireside Chat with Jacqueline Poh to learn about EDB’s #sustainability efforts across industries in Singapore, #greenjobs of the future and women’s role in the #greeneconomy.
27 Jan 2022
WISE Lecture Series:
“SUSTAINABILITY 101 – Let’s Start with the Basics”
Date – 27th Jan 2022
Time – 4:00pm
Venue – SMU Campus
Confused by the overwhelming literature and jargon on sustainability? Looking for an easier and simpler way to navigate the rapidly evolving and unfamiliar sustainability landscape?
If so, pls join us as WISE embarks on our 1st event in our “Education Series” that aims to provide the root fundamentals for understanding this complex subject.
This 2 hour session will be led by PwC Singapore’s head of sustainability Eu-Lin Fang and Singapore Management University’s Prof. David Glenn Fernandez and Prof Rajiv Lall.
18 Nov 2021
WISE Launch Event:
“Launch of Women in Sustainability & Environment (WISE)”
Date – 18th Nov 2021
Time – 5 to 6 pm
Venue – Mochtar Riady Auditorium at SMU
The launch will include a panel discussion on “Fem-Fluence and Sustainability”.
Panelists include"
Jaclyn Seow, Head of ESG and Impact, Openspace Ventures;
Nichol Ng, Co-founder and CEO, FoodXervices;
Eu-Lin Fang, Sustainability and Climate Change Practice Leader, PwC;
Gwyneth Fries, Expert Senior Manager, Sustainability, Bain & Company;
Moderated by Debra Soon, Group Head, Marketing and Communications of Aviva SingLife.
